What fat acceptance and eating disorder treatment have to do with one another

There is a growing (ha!) movement toward Fat Acceptance in the blogosphere and in the real world. It is parallel to a movement in nutritional circles called "Health at Every Size."

What has this movement and philosophy to do with treatment of anorexia and bulimia? After all, much of the message to eating disorder patients is "we won't let you get fat."

The fact is, recovery from an eating disorder involves Fat Acceptance regardless of the actual size and dimensions of the person. Our society has, like a boa constrictor, made 98% of the population feel "fat." We are told we have control of our weight, in defiance of our DNA, even though healthy weight ranges are as genetic as shoe size and height. We are not all going to be healthy at size 8, or 18 - we vary. And that is a beautiful, good thing that we've lost sight of.

The ease, or difficulty, of acceptance isn't really different based on what we look like to others, or what we weigh.

We need to stop fighting with our loved ones with the argument "you aren't fat." We need to accept that being healthy may not feel good or normal for a while, and you won't look like a Barbie Doll. We also must stop giving the message that self-loathing and self-injury is okay if you really ARE fat.

Comments

  1. Oh, hear hear.

    I don't think you could say it better.

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  2. Isn't that really one of the worst consequences of a "consumerist" society? The right hook message that you're not SUPPOSED to love - or even like - yourself. Followed-up of course by the left jab: But if you (buy this thing) you'll feel better.

    I've decided to light my candle:
    I will not let my nieces', friends', and co-workers' "I hate my ..." go unchallenged. I deflect, counter, and retaliate with a complement, but I will not model that this kind of thing is OK. It's not.

    I have emailed every clothing store from which I buy (UO and Puella being personal favs) that if they continue to under-represent human beauty, I will not shop there. And I've done it, too.

    I refuse to buy "faked foods". I make loud "yuck" noises when their commercials come on. Withering are my stares at fat-free dairy products. I allow all to see my disdain of low carb beer by proudly hefting a Guinness.

    More ways to fight back will probably come to me. But first, back to my Guiness....

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  3. IrishUp-

    Now I have *no* doubt that you aren't making the "irish" part of your name up.

    One of my little pet theories (I think they're rabbit theories because they're small and they keep reproducing and leaving crap everywhere) is that we live in a bulimic society. Have this, but don't look like you do. Order pizza but be a size 4. I'm not saying bulimia isn't a brain disease, but that it seems a logical response in today's society.

    PS- for St Pat's day this year, my parents were over and we made ice cream floats with vanilla ice cream and Guinness. Aw, yeah.

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  4. PS-

    Irish, have you are "Animal Vegetable Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver? My new mission is to grow a garden and make my own cheese with REAL WHOLE MILK!

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  5. "rabbit theories" *snorts pepsi out nose*. My husband calls mine squirrels cuz they run everywhere and make him nuts ;D.

    A bullemic society. I like it (well, not at all, but you know..). A whole culture bent on creating impossible expectations, then feeling like a failure when the impossible turns out to be unattainable. The problem of course, is that if you love who you are, faults and all, then you certainly don't need all the crap being sold to you. Corporations need you to need them, and most of us are too busy to notice how bad this has gotten. But watch commercials one evening. Watch how negative the messages are.

    I haven't read Animal Vegetable Miracle, but I've been a big fan of Michael Pollan for years. We've been ordering whole milk in return/reuse glass from a local dairy, and we invest in a grass-fed cow and turkey each year.
    Gardening is interesting where I live (right on a beach), but we usually get a decent crop of 'matos, lettuce, and herbs, +/- other stuff, and some beautiful flowers. FYI, the meat from 1/4 cow will last our family of 4 about 9-10m. It's so much tastier than super-market! We're going in on 1/2-cow with some friends this year.

    I hope that you'll blog about your garden and whole milk projects! Fresh whole milk = yummy homemade ice cream?

    I've never yet had a Guiness float (*scribbles note-to-self*) BUT I have a killer recipe for irish whiskey cake!

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  6. we are still at the outset of our (12 y/o) daughter's treatment... she considers her ED therapist 'fat' and 'unconcerned with her appearance', so she has no reason to validate anything she says... except that we are the ones approving her treatment and she says she wants to get better. Daughter currently treats any opinion on size/beauty, other than that of the mendacious fashion industry, as invalid and uninformed.
    I eagerly look forward to her personal goals no longer including the covers of 'Marie Claire' and 'Vogue', nor the runways of Paris and Milan. And this is selfish perhaps, but I want her veganism to cease.

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  7. Spartacus,

    Your daughter's thoughts are so classic for someone with this illness - but will improve with recovery.

    Something to consider - veganism is a dietary choice that extremely difficult to acheive the amount of food a recovering child needs. Are you in charge of her nutrition or is she?

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  8. I've been vegan for years and it is not hard to gain weight on a vegan diet, that is a myth. There are processed replacements for everything--fake meats, dairies, etc. Baked goods, margarine, oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds, candy, dried fruit, avocado--all high-calorie, all vegan. It all depends on what you eat. I would highly recommend nuts and nut butters because it's easy to eat lots of it AND they have nutrition, unlike the processed junky vegan foods. Two tablespoons of almond butter is a serving, but it's easy to eat a lot more and get over 1000 calories in a sitting with little volume.

    Good luck. If she is vegan for the right reasons, she shouldn't have a problem with high-calorie vegan foods.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been vegan for years and it is not hard to gain weight on a vegan diet, that is a myth. There are processed replacements for everything--fake meats, dairies, etc. Baked goods, margarine, oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds, candy, dried fruit, avocado--all high-calorie, all vegan. It all depends on what you eat. I would highly recommend nuts and nut butters because it's easy to eat lots of it AND they have nutrition, unlike the processed junky vegan foods. Two tablespoons of almond butter is a serving, but it's easy to eat a lot more and get over 1000 calories in a sitting with little volume.

    Good luck. If she is vegan for the right reasons, she shouldn't have a problem with high-calorie vegan foods.

    ReplyDelete

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